Once in full control of the WhatsApp accounts, fraudsters later hoax their victims by enticing them to win fake prizes and posing as institutions, such as ADCB or Expo 2020, that appear legitimate.

The rapid rise of online shopping across the Emirates has also put many consumers in the sights of scammers.

A 2017 cyber-security insights report by security experts Norton revealed UAE shoppers lost more than Dh321 million at the hands of fraudsters, with a quarter of victims having their financial details compromised as a result.

The Norton report also found consumers spent an average of 22.4 hours dealing with the consequences of financial information that was compromised while shopping online.

The wide-ranging study found that 978 million people across the world fell victim to cyber-crime in 2017.

The report found that more than half the adult population in the UAE fell victim to cyber-crime last year, each losing an average of Dh669.

Consumers put themselves at risk by using the same password on multiple online accounts, the report stated.

Aside from cases of electronic fraud, Judge Hakam said many of the cases he dealt with at the one-day court involved either petty theft or overstaying visas.

Col Ibrahim Al Ajel, director of Sharjah’s criminal investigation department, also warned people to be wary of the threat posed by online fraud.

“This year, we received three reports of such cases in one day and 90 until now,” he said.

He revealed university students were often the target of online tricksters and also urged parents to pay close attention to their children’s online activities as they could also be taken in.